Dr Sajad Hussain Deen

  The culminating year of my PhD journey was 2016. After visiting IIT Madras and the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), we went to IIT Kanpur to give the finalize our research work at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. I was accompanied by my colleague, Kaleem Ahmad. Our journey from Srinagar to Kanpur was by train, and upon arrival, we settled into the institute's guest house. The following day, we had an appointment with Prof. Kamal K. Kar. Prof. Kar was a strict and disciplined academic. Inspite of his busy schedule, he did give us time—discussed the academic plan with us. He gave firm directions to his academic team to accommodate us and support our work, using very direct language. Therefore under such well defined atmosphere, our work moved quickly and smoothly. At IIT Kanpur, we pushed ourselves further. We conducted advanced tests and added new chapters to our thesis, aiming to raise the standard and depth of our research. We stayed for three more m...

  Thinking about my present role often brings to my mind scenes from the Netflix series Mirzapur. One instance that resonates with me is when the Superintendent of Police gives his subordinate a clear directive—granting him a free hand to rid Mirzapur of the notorious mafia don, Kaleen Bhaiya. What resonated was a moment of trust to delegate someone with such autonomy to complete a task. I recall echoing this tone while leading my own team. I would often direct one of my trusted colleagues, empowering him with authority. The question that comes to my mind often is how to outlive yourself. Everything we do in this world has an expiry date. But what makes us immortal is the way we do things. Probably kindness, manners and behaviour are some of the attributes which make us unforgettable to people. Even though we leave the places and people we lived once with but due to these qualities people always remember us.  Recently I was invited to a wedding ceremony. I attended it with my ...

Iqbal was a great philosopher, poet, and visionary whose thoughts were far ahead of his time. His poem “Sāre Jahān se Achchā, Hindustān Hamārā” continues to be sung with fervour and love across India. Muhammad Iqbal was born on 9 November 1877 in Sialkot, then part of undivided India (now in Punjab, Pakistan), into a Kashmiri family. He proudly acknowledged his Kashmiri heritage in his writings. Historical accounts state that Iqbal’s grandfather was Kanhaya Lal, and his father, Rattan Lal, converted to Islam, adopting the name Nur Muhammad. Nur Muhammad married Imam Bibi, who passed away in 1914 in Sialkot. At the age of four, Iqbal was admitted to a mosque to learn the Qur’an. He studied Arabic under Syed Mir Hassan. In 1893, he completed his matriculation from Scotch Mission College, Sialkot. Four years later, in 1897, he graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy, English Literature, and Arabic from Government College University, Lahore. He earned his M.A. in 1899 from the same institut...

Injustice is corrosive. It doesn’t just deny opportunity; it eats away at the very soul of a society. I learned this not from theory, but from bitter, repeated experiences. Fresh out of my M.Tech, I walked into an interview room with four strangers on the panel. They asked for a lecture, fired a few questions, and ended with the customary, “We’ll let you know.” A month later, the results were out. My name wasn’t there. Disappointed but determined, I moved on—until, during my higher studies, I met some of the same panel members again. One of them, admitted the truth: the list had been finalised before interviews even began. Gifts—shawls, among other “tokens”—had secured seats for the chosen. Merit was never in the equation. Years later, armed with higher qualifications, I applied for an assistant professor post at a reputed university. But the same script played out. The chairman—well-known for his religious devotion—selected candidates not on merit, but on piety. His close neighbour...

The journey of a PhD is both about discovery as well as perseverance. For me it was a journey across India—through the green expanse of IIT Madras to the focused corridors of IIT Kanpur—each shaping my research and my understanding of what academia should be like. IT Madras was my first stop where I went along with my colleague Kaleem Ahmad. The journey began on a train winding through the vibrant landscapes of South India—a moving prelude to the intellectual adventure ahead. We arrived at Chennai Central Railway Station. A ₹450 prepaid taxi took us to the sprawling IIT campus. Interestingly, people were puzzled when we asked for the “Indian Institute of Technology.” However, only the abbreviation “IIT” brought instant recognition—a charming little reminder that context matters, even in directions. Entering the IIT gates was like entering a new world. A place where old trees and wildlife existed freely. Ut encompasses rigorous scientific enquiry. Our hosts, Prof. M. S. R. Rao and Pro...

For effective learning to take place, the educator must deliver a well-structured and informative discourse, while the student must actively engage, absorb, and retain the material. The true challenge for a teacher lies in motivating students—stimulating their curiosity and inspiring them to learn. To achieve this, an instructor must possess deep and thought-provoking knowledge of the subject and cultivate a classroom environment that is both enjoyable and intellectually enriching. Maximizing student potential demands that learning be made engaging and inspirational. Teachers must be receptive to student interests and nurture their passion for knowledge. Globally, the educational paradigm is shifting toward student-centered strategies that emphasize responsibility and collaborative learning—epitomized by the “Think, Pair, Share” approach introduced by Frank Lyman at the University of Maryland in 1981. This model encourages greater student involvement, promoting accountability and col...